More and more people are turning to alternative therapies to prevent and cure illnesses. In an age when conventional medicine is under intense scrutiny, the natural option is fast becoming more popular. However, it's easy to forget that just ten years ago treatments like acupuncture, osteopathy or reflexology were scorned by the orthodox medical profession who saw them as flash-in-the-pan remedies that couldn't possibly tackle serious ailments. Nowadays, we look more favourably on alternative treatments, seeing them as viable complements to more conventional medicine.

Russian healer, Dr Alla Svirinskaya, specialises in bio-energy healing. This is a treatment which harmonises the energy in your aura, detecting and treating any imbalances. Dr Alla's gift is one passed down through five generations of Russian healers and it allows her to read the 'Braille' of the body. The therapist's hands, which barely glance over the patient, uncover potential and actual hazards by finding and feeling for the body's natural energy flow. Ulcers, thyroid problems, joint and bone degeneration and even the early stages of cancer are just some of the problems that the trained practitioner can detect if a person's energy flow is impeded or damaged in some way.

Dr Alla takes an extremely precise and scientific approach to her craft and has studied the connection between energy and physics. 'Physicists have proven that everything is made up solely of energy, ourselves included,' she explains. 'Einstein himself described matter as a form of energy. with this in mind, any blockages in energy flow can create problems on a physical or psychological level. the way that we project this energy is not dissimilar to quantum physics.' Although you don't have to be a medically trained doctor to practice bio-energy balancing, Dr Alla received her medical training in her native Russia. She believes that this improves the treatment of her patients. They have come to her via The Life Centre in London, as well as directly through her own private practice and they all swear by her treatment.

'I know a lot of people surround healing with mysticism and attach derogatory images of demons and goblins to it, but that's not correct,' she says firmly. 'That sort of thing can be very dangerous as it indicates that you have to believe in healing the way that some people believe in religious cults. It's not based on spiritual or religious beliefs and anyone can learn to heal. However, anyone can learn how to paint but there's only one Monet! So you might be able to paint well but only certain people can truly touch you with their paintings.'

She is also very keen to point out how hard and long the training is. She spent most of her childhood learning the art of translating the body's different energy vibrations, identifying what might be amiss and how to correct them. As a six-year-old growing up, Dr Alla had her first experience of being different from other children and feeling strange sensations in her hands. 'It wasn't weird because I was aware of my mother treating patients all the time and so I thought it was normal. and then my mother taught me how to feel my own energy until I was old enough to watch her work. She would call me in when treating a patient and get me to put my hands over them so that I could understand what, say, an illness such as gastroenteritis or candida would feel like.'

She is adamant about the seriousness of her gift and adds, 'It's so frustrating when I see courses saying 'learn to heal in a weekend' - impossible, just impossible,' she says shaking her head. 'I find that the British are a lot more open than other nations to new theories and alternative medicines, but people have to be careful. This sort of thing is open to abuse by charlatans who just want to take your money and rip you off.'

Dr Alla has a wide range of patients from the rich and famous to the simply health conscious. But she has never advertised in order to work. All of her patients are personal recommendations or referrals from doctors and consultants who have heard of her work. But there are still some GP's who frown upon new therapies that are not scientifically based. 'I know that there are a lot of cynics out there and it used to bother me when I was younger, but my concern is to get people better. It still astounds me just how jaded some doctors can be. If a person feels wonderful after a healing session and recovers from an illness as a result of seeing me, how can anyone have a problem with that? Surely we're all working toward the same goal - to be healthy and happy. We're just taking different routes. I really don't have time for those who reject anything on the basis of ignorance.'

A lot of the confusion that surrounds alternative medicine is due to a concern that it aspires to take the place of conventional medicine. Dr Alla is quick to point out that she will not diagnose a patient, particularly if she feel that there might be something seriously wrong with them. 'Medical diagnosis for energy treatment is irrelevant but vital for orthodox medicine,' she explains. 'I don't ever prescribe drugs and would never say to someone 'you have cancer' or some other disease. I'm very cautious, and if, for example, I feel a blockage in a woman's breast area I will give her guidance and reassure her that it's better to be safe than sorry and that she should see her doctor about a mammogram. I don't want to alarm people unnecessarily but I am rarely wrong about naming the area which needs to be treated.'

During treatment, the most that the patient feels is a warm tingling sensation around their body, particularly where there may be a blockage. 'After the treatment, the patient receives a diet and exercise programme individually tailored to the vibrations in their aura. I teach people to look after themselves when I'm not around. Your chi is compromised by the food you eat,' says Dr Alla. 'So if you eat junk food it changes the way you think, feel, look and live. The wrong sort of food will not produce good energy.' She only eats organic food and what she terms 'good energy food' such as nuts, pulses, grains and vegetables. She also fasts one day a week, drinking only water. She firmly believes that this gets rid of all toxins and purifies her body. She affirms that this commitment to body maintenance is vital to our well-being.

Dr Alla describes our energy as being the driver and the body being the car. So, in effect, no matter how good the car is, if the driver is neglecting it and putting the wrong fuel into it, it will suffer and break down. 'A lot of people go about their daily lives feeling slightly under the weather and they think it's normal. They forget just how good they can feel. They take it for granted that as they get older they will have problems with their health; this doesn't have to be the case.' As for the future, Dr Alla's vision is focused: 'I believe that bio-energy healing is the next medicine of this century. I see a future for bio-energy balancing as a partner to orthodox medicine. I would like doctors to be aware of its incredible ability to heal people. Perhaps one day we will see bio-energy balancing taught in schools and becoming a part of our daily lives.'

Dr Alla's gentle confidence is underlined by the support of her patients. It is not inconceivable that in the future GP's could look at the real results of bio-energy and think again.

Case study: 'So sudden'
Name: Joanne Wakefield
Age: 34
Profession: account manager
'iIt started with a horrible throbbing in my head that just wouldn't go away. I went to the doctor and through a process of elimination he diagnosed the problem as a migraine. I took all the medicine that he prescribed, but the headaches persisted. I was at my wit's end, because my life was now seriously disrupted. A friend recommended Dr Alla. She suggested that there was a blockage located at the top of my vertebrae, and advised me to confirm this with my GP. After an x-ray, my GP confirmed Dr Alla's diagnosis! I had an impacted disc, that would require a year of physio-therapy. I did start taking the physio, but after a few months I decided to return to Dr Alla. I only had to have three sessions with her before the headaches disappeared.'

Case study: 'Very lucky'
Name: Robert Storey
Age: 37
Profession: recruitment consultant
'I was feeling fine, well, maybe a little tired and run down, but nothing serious - or so I thought. I went to see Dr Alla out of curiosity more than anything else, so imagine my surprise when she said to me that I had a very serious blockage in my kidney area and that I should go and check it out with my GP. I took her advice. After doing a series of urine tests and ultrasound scanning, I found that I had two huge stones in my left kidney. The doctor said that these stones were at a critical stage and that we were lucky to have found them in time. I find it incredible that she was able to locate the problem through bio-energy balancing, without the complicated machinery that I came across in hospital. All that she had to do was run her hands lightly over my body to locate the problem! I really have a lot to thank her for.'